A year after teen’s suicide, is
the bullying problem any better?

BUCKHANNON — One year ago, a sophomore at Buckhannon-Upshur High School took his own life, and his family claims bullying led to the suicide.

After Eston William Nelson II turned another student in for allegedly exposing himself, he was harassed by fellow students, according to his father.

Bill Nelson said it was that bullying that led his son to write a note, take a family gun, slip out of his home and commit suicide roughly a mile from his home.

Nelson tried to pursue legal action, but he said the judicial system is limited by a lack of applicable laws.

“The state has made no law towards bullying,” he said. “If you go out here and speed, there is a law that says if you go over [the limit], this is what is going to happen. There’s no law on the books that deals with bullies.”

Upshur County prosecuting attorney Jake Reger was contacted about this story but said he could not comment on juvenile matters.

Although not on the legal level, the state department of education took steps to address bullying in Policy 4373 ­— Expected Behavior in Safe and Supportive Schools, which was adopted July 1 and which Upshur County Schools also adopted as its own policy.